Saddle.



'A. P. PAGHIRI.

SADDLE.

APPLICATION rum) DBO. 6, 1901.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Cir

UNTTE ANTONIO PANDELLI FAOHIRI, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

SADDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Application filed December 6, 1907. Serial No. 05,34=7.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ANTONIO PANDELLI FACHIRI, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at London, in England, have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in Saddles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to saddles and has for its object to dispose of the stirrup leather and construct the saddle in such a way as to give increased comfort to the rider.

In the usual construction the stirrup leathers lie on the outside of the side flaps of the saddle but according to this invention the leather is carried under a portion of this flap so that the knee of the rider will come directly in contact with the flap. Further by carrying the stirrup leather beneath the hard flap, it is brought over the softer padding into which it can bed itself so that the part of the saddle against which the riders knee and leg comes shall be smooth and without the ridge which is ordinarily due to the stirrup leather. To obviate wear on the comparatively soft part of the saddle which would arise from chafing by the stirrup leather a piece of soft leather is conveniently sewn or otherwise secured to the back of the saddle flap or disposed in some suitable way so as to protect the padding. The stirrup leather after leaving the stirrup bar is threaded through a slit or opening in the flap passing under it for a suitable distance and emerging through another slit or opening on to the outer surface of the flap. The slits or openings in the flap may be curved or otherwise shaped and of such dimensions as to allow the stirrup leather a certain amount of fore and aft play. The slits in the flap through which the stirrup leather passes may vary in length according to requirements and the rearward ends of the slits are connected by an approximately vertical cut so as to form a secondary flap underneath which the stirrup leather passes the edge of the secondary flap being connected along its rear edge to the main flap in some convenient manner.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a saddle constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the saddle shown in Fig. l with the auxiliary flap partly turned back.

Fig. 3 shows a further modification. Fig. l

is a side elevation with the main flap raised l to show the arrangement beneath the flap.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

In the form shown in Fig. 1- the rear ends of the slits B and C are joined by an approximately vertical cut B in the flap which thus forms that portion of the flap A which lies over the stirrup leather into an auxiliary flap. In order to keep the rear edge of this auxiliary flap A in place the edge of the flap is provided with projecting tongues A formed of leather or other suitable material and these tongues normally lie under the adjacent edge of the main flap. The number of these tongues may vary in accordance with requirements, and in some cases such as shown in Fig. 3 a single tongue is used extending along almost the whole rearward edge of the secondary flap. It will be noted that the tongue or tongues A are conveniently attached to the inner side of the auxiliary flap A in the manner clearly indicated. in Fig. 2 so that the rear edge of the auxiliary flap A and the adjacent edge of the main flap A butt against each other and a smooth surface is maintained at the joining. With this arrangement if the stirrup leather is inclined backward beyond the limit of the slits B and C the rear edge of the auxiliary flap A will be pulled away from the main flap A being drawn out from behind. the fiap A and the stirrup leather will thus be clear of the auxiliary flap and free to be drawn off the stirrup bar or otherwise disengaged from its point of attachment to the saddle. This is of importance in the event of accident should the rider be thrown and have his foot caught in the stirrup the stirrup leather in this event being free to be disengaged from the saddle with the same facility as in the ordinary construction of saddle.

In some cases in order to avoid'chafing or wear of the padding E beneath the flap A by that part of the stirrup leather D which lies beneath the auxiliary flap A or beneath the portion A of the meain flap the padding E may at this place be covered by a protective piece of leather or other material. Such a protective piece A is shown in Fig. l sewn on to the underside of the flap A so as to cover the slits B and C and the space between them. This protective piece A is seen also in Fig. 2. The padding also may be modified or thinned slightly so as to allow the stirrup leather to bed itself into the 1 padding and aid in making that part of the flap which lies between the slits B and C smooth so that as slight a ridge as possible results from the position of the stirrup leather beneath the flap. The protective strip or piece may be arranged in various other ways which will allow of the desired object being attained. The means adopted for keeping in place the rear edge of the auxiliary flap A may vary but as explained above it is preferable that the arrangement be such as to allow the rear edge of the auxiliary flap A to be readily lifted or cleared from the main flap on emergency.

In any of the constructions in accordance with this invention the width of the protective piece which lies over the stirrup leather or the distance apart of the slits B and C may vary according to the convenience of the user of the saddle and the position of his knees on the flaps when the saddle is in use. Also the length of the cuts B and C may vary their direction whether curved as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or straight as in Fig. 3 with curved corners or otherwise.

It is convenient with a saddle constructed in accordance with this invention to employ a girth of the type shown in the figures where two straps F are fastened to the saddle tree so as to hang from the panels over the padding E and engage buckles G of the girth proper G, these buckles being situated at a point below the lower. edge of the flap A. By using this type of girth any unevenness or consequent discomfort to the rider by the presence of buckles beneath the flap is avoided.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a saddle the combination of a flap, an attachment for the stirrup leather, a stirrup leather, said flap having a slit in its upper portion forming an opening through which the stirrup leather passes to the inside of the flap, and a slit in the lower portion of the flap forming an opening through which the stirrup leather passes from the under to the upper side of the flap and also a cut connecting the rearward ends of these slits and forming a secondary flap in the main flap as set forth.

2. In a saddle the combination of a flap, an attachment for the stirrup leather, a stirrup leather, said flap having a slit in its upper portion forming an opening through which the stirrup leather passes to the inside of the flap, and a slit in the lower portion of the flap forming an opening through which the stirrup leather passes from the under to the upper side of the flap, and also a cut connecting the rearward ends of these slits and forming a secondary flap in the main flap, and means for connecting the rearward edge of the secondary flap to the main flap as set forth.

3. In a saddle the combination of a flap,

an attachment for the stirrup leather, a stirrup leather, said flap having a slit in its upper portion forming an opening through which the stirrup leather passes to the inside of. the flap, and a slit in the lower portion of the flap forming an opening through which the stirrup leather passes from the under to the upper side of the flap, and also a cut connecting the rearward ends of these slits and forming a secondary flap in the.

main flap and a tongue projecting from the rearward edge of the secondary flap and adapted to lie beneath the abutting portion of the main'flap as set forth.

4. In a saddle the combination of a flap, an attachment for the stirrup leather, a stirrup leather, said flap having a slit in its upper portion forming an opening through which the stirrup leather passes to the inside of the flap, and a slit in the lower portion of the flap forming an opening through which the stirrup leather passes from the under to the upper side of the flap, and also a cut connecting the rearward ends of these slits and forming a secondary flap in the main flap, and a protective piece on the underside of the flap, as set forth.

5. In a saddle the combination of a flap, an attachment for the stirrup leather, a stirrup leather, said flap having a slit in its upper portion forming an opening through which the stirrup leather passes to the inside of the flap, and a slit in the lower portion of the flap forming an opening through which the stirrup leather passes from the under to the upper side of the flap, and also a cut connecting the rearward ends of these slits and forming a secondary flap in the main fiap, means for connecting the rearward edge of the secondary flap to the main flap and a protective piece on the underside of the fiap as set forth. 7

G. In a saddle the combination of a flap, an attachment for the stirrup leather, a stirrup leather, said flap having a slit in its upper portion forming an opening through which the stirrup leather passes to the inside of the flap, and a slit in the lower portion of the flap forming an opening through which the stirrup leather passes from the under to the upper side of the flap, and also a cut connecting the rearward ends of these slits and forming a secondary flap in the main flap, a tongue projecting from the rearward edge of the secondary flap and adapted to lie beneath the abutting portion of the main flap and a protective piece on the underside of the flap as set forth.

7. In a saddle the combination of a flap a protective piece secured to the flap on its underside an attachment for the stirrup leather, a stirrup leather, said flap having a slit in its upper portion forming an opening through which the stirrup leather asses to the inside of the flap, and a slit 1n the lower portion of the flap forming an opening through which the stirrup leather passes from the under to the upper side of the flap, and also a cut connecting the rearward ends of these slits and forming a secondary flap in the main flap and a tongue projecting from the rear edge of the secondary flap and adapted to lie beneath the abutting portion of the main flap and between this portion of the main flap and the protective piece on its underside as set forth.

8. In a saddle the combination of a flap a protective piece secured to the flap on its underside an attachment for the stirrup leather, a stirrup leather, said flap having a slit in its upper portion forming an opening through which the stirrup leather passes to the inside of the flap, and a slit in the lower portion of the flap forming an opening through which the stirrup leather passes from the under to the upper side of the flap, and also a cut connecting the rearward ends of these slits and forming a secondary flap in the main flap and a plurality of tongues projecting from the rear edge of the secondary flap and adapted to lie beneath the abutting portion of the main flap and between this portion of the main flap and the protective piece on its underside as set forth. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANTONIO PANDELLI FACHIRI. Witnesses WALTER J. SKERTEN, T. J. OSMAN. 

